Police say Yunus Latif, 47, of Richmond Hill, Queens, filled 30 five-gallon plastic tubs with four gallons of gas each at a station in Orange, Conn., with the intention of bringing it back to neighbors in New York.

A witness told police they saw Latif loading up plastic containers filled with gas into his truck. When police arrived, they discovered the tubs with gas loaded in the back of the truck. The plastic lids were expanding, police say.

Gas can only be transported in Department of Transportation-approved containers.